Rod-packing.



No. 731,304. PATE-NTED JUNE 16, 1903.

H A. HOWE.

ROD PACKING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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Patented June 16, 1903.

PATENT FFICE.

HENRY A. HOWE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES A.DANIEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROD-PACKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'latent No. 731,304, dated June 16,1903. Application filed February 25, 1903- erial No. 144,987. (No model-To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. HOWE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Providence, Rhode Island, have invented cer- 5 tainImprovements in Rod-Packing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of packing for piston-rods,valve-rods, pump-plungers, and the like which have contractible 1ometallic rings bearing upon the rod and preventing leakage of steam orother fluid around the same, the object of my invention being to.

so construct a rod-packing of this character that the same will beself-setting--that is to say, it Will respond to the pressure within thecylinder or valve-chest and will bear upon the rod with a varying force,depending upon the variations of the pressure.

A further object of the invention is to permit lateral movements of thepacking inthe stuffing-box, such as may be caused by irregularities inthe surface of the rod or by movements of the latter due to wear of thepiston, improperalinement of the cross-head, or other causes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of astuffing-box provided with rod-packing in accordance with my invention;and Figs. 2, 3, and 4. are per- 0 spective views of the three differentconstructions of rings of which the packing is composed, the elements ofthe ring shown in Fig. 4 being separated from each other in order tomore fullyillustrate the construction of said elements.

1 represents part of the stuffing-box structure of a cylinder orvalve-box, and 2 part of the piston or valve rod.

The invention is applicable to rods used in 4o variousforrns ofapparatus employing either steam, water, oil, air, gas, ammonia, orother fluid; but in order to simplify the description I will assume thatthe invention is applied to the piston-rod of a steam-engine.

The packing comprises three different forms of rings, (indicated,respectively, at 3, 4, and 5,) as many of these rings being employed asthe character of the work to be performed may suggest.

The ring 3 may consist of ordinary fibrous or asbestos rope packing, solong as it possesses a certain amount of resiliency, the purpose of thisring being to act as a cushion for the other rings of the packing and bycompression and expansion to permit to-and-fro movement of said ringsinthe box.

The ring 5 may consist of a fabric of cotton duck, asbestos,or othermaterial; but this ring, while not rigid, should be of so compact acharacter as to afford a proper bearing for the remaining ring tof theset, which. is composed of metal of any available character, dependingupon the character of the Work which, is to be performed, a wide rangebeing permissible, from iron or steel on the one hand to Babbitt metalor other soft metal or alloy on the other.

The ring 8 is of rounded quadrangular crosssection; but the rings 4 and5 are of triangular section with their diagonal faces in contact witheach other, the angle of these faces being varied as desired to give therequired coefficient of friction of the packing on the rod, dependingupon the particular use of the packing and the range of pressure towhich it is likely to be subjected.

The ring 4 is composed of three sections 6,

7, and b, each split into segments, so that it is free to expand and.contract, these segmen ts being. disposed so as to break joint andprevent leakage between them and being retainedin proper relation toeach other by any suitable means, such as dowel-pins 9, on one segmentfitting between adjoining segments. The ring as shown is composed ofthree sections; but it may be composed of but two sections, ifdesired-for instance, the sections 6 and 8-01 may even be made in onepiece in some cases.

The inclined face of the ring 6 is recessed 0 for the reception of thering 7, the latter being of quadrangular cross-section and filling therecess, so that it is confined laterally to the ring 6, the ring 8 beingof triangularv cross-section and being disposed with one of 5 its fiatfaces against the ring '7 and its inclined face forming a continuationof that of the ring 6.

When there is pressure in the stuffing-box end of the cylinder, suchpressure finds its [0) way into the rear end of the stuffing-box andacts upon the rings therein, so as toforce them forwardly, thecushioning-rings 3 yielding slightly to pressure and the wedge action ofthe rings 5 upon the rings 4 forcing the latter down upon the rod with apressure commensurate with the pressure in the cylinder. llence just therequired amount of pressure of the rings 4 upon the rod to preventleakage is effected without unnecessary friction and wear upon the rod.

At the point of cut-off or whenever from other cause the pressure in thestuffing-box end of the cylinder begins to diminish the pressure of thepacking on the rod likewise diminishes, the rings 4 gradually slidingback on the inclined surfaces of the rings 5 and the rod,correspondingly with the reduction of pressure in the cylinder, until bythe time the smiling-box end of the cylinderis open to the exhaust thepressure of packing on the rod will be only enough to prevent leakage ofair into the cylinder around the rod, it being understood that the glandof the studing-box is not screwed up tightly in the first instance, butonly suflicient to cause the rings 4 to press lightly upon the rod.

When the sections of the rings 4 become worn, it will be suflicient inmany cases simply to renew the sections 7 and 8, thus saving expense.

The rings 5 are susceptible of a limited amount of compressionlaterally, so that the packing does not form a rigid bearing for therod, but is free to play laterally to a limited extentin the box toaccommodate inequalities in the rod or defects in the alinement of thesame.

The use of the fibrous ring 3 as a cushion for the rings 4 and 5 insteadof a metallic spring prevents any injury to the rod, such as issometimes caused by metallic springs breaking and jamming against therod, so as to cut or groove the same.

Iain aware of the patent of Norman E. Miller, No. 524,178, dated August7, 1894, in which a pair of wedge-shaped rings of fibrous material werecombined with a cushioningring; but my invention is distinct frompacking of that character in that in my packing the bearing upon the rodrelied upon to prevent leakage is a metallic bearing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. The combination in a rod-packing, of a compressiblemetallic ring bearing upon the rod and having a beveled outer face and aface transverse to the axis of the rod, a ring of fibrous materialinterposed between the wall of the stu fling-box and said bearing-ringand providing a beveled bearing for the beveled face of the latter, saidfibrous ring also having a face transverse to the axis of the rod, and afibrous cushion bearing against the transverse face of one of the ringsand transmitting pressure thereto, substantially as specified.

2. The combination in a rod-packing, of a compressible metallic ringcomposed of a series of sections movable independently of each other,said ring having bearing upon the rod and having a beveled face and aface transverse to the axis of the rod, a fibrous ring interposedbetween the wall of the stuffing-box and said bearing-ring, and alsohaving a face transverse to the axis of the rod, and a beveled face incontact with the beveled face of the bearing-ring, and a fibrous cushionbearing upon the transverse face of one of the rings and transmittingpressure thereto, substantially as specified.

3. A rod-packing consisting of a metallic ring composed of sections, theoutermost of which have beveled faces, one of which is recessed for thereception of one of the other sections, said sections having a bearingupon the rod, a fibrous ring interposed between the wall of thestufiing-box and said bearingring, and presenting a beveled face forengagement with that of the bearing-ring, and a fibrous cushion fortransmitting pressure to said rings, substantially as specified.

4. A rod packing in which a pair of wedgeshaped rings having theirbeveled faces in contact with each other and presenting a metallicbearing to the rod, are combined with a fibrous cushion for transmittingpressure to said rings, substantially as specified.

5. A rod-packing in which a series of pairs of wedge-shaped rings havingtheir beveled faces bearing upon each other, and presenting a metallicbearing to the rod, are combined with fibrous cushions confining andseparating said pairs of wedge-shaped rings, and transmitting pressurethereto, substantially as specified.

6. A rod-packing in which a series of pairs of wedge-shaped rings eachconsisting of an inner compressible metallic ring bearing upon the rodand an outer ring of fibrous material bearing upon the wall of the box,said rings having their beveled faces in contact with each other, arecombined with a series of fibrous cushions located one at each end ofthe series of pairs of wedge-shaped rings, and one between each pair andthe next, said cushions transmitting pressure to the wedge-shaped rings,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY A. HOWE.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. MoGRATH, O. BURTON KENDALL.

lCO

